Cennitra Fowler chooses bench trial for abusing her dogs

St. Louis, MO (KSDK) - A woman charged with abusing two dogs, leaving one dead, has chosen a bench trial before a Judge rather than allowing a jury to decide her guilt or innocence in the case.

Cennitra Fowler, 22 of St. Louis, was charged last October with two misdemeanor counts of animal abuse in an investigation that took place over nearly a year.

On Tuesday, a decision was made that Fowler would allow Judge Theresa Counts Burke hear the evidence and render a verdict in the matter.

Fowler was arrested after the formation of a city wide animal cruelty task force found one of Fowler's dogs wandering through an alley on Thrush Avenue in the Walnut Park neighborhood. The dog, which has since been adopted out, had signs of abuse and neglect.

A second dog belonging to Fowler died according to police investigators.